New Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that the warden of the Rani Laxmi Bai Hostel of Dr Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar striped searched the hostel girls over disposed sanitary pads in the hostel premises on the 25th March, 2018. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the right to dignity of the victim girls, who suffered mental agony and humiliation due to the unethical act by the hostel authorities. The officials are required to be sensitized to be careful and behave in a sensible manner while dealing with the students, especially the girl students. The hostel authorities, being custodian of the boarders, are duty bound to protect them from any kind of ill treatment and humiliation. No punitive measures appeared to have taken yet, which are very essential to curb the outrageous acts against the girl students.
According to the media reports, carried today on the 27th March, 2018, the hostel warden noticed some used sanitary pads lying around in washroom and premises of the hostel. To detect as to who might have thrown them, she directed to strip-search the girls students residing in the university hostel. The incident came into light when the girls, reportedly, took up the matter with the Vice-chancellor of the University. It is stated in the report that a committee has been formed to probe the matter and to decide action to be taken against the delinquent officer.